Sarah Catherine Trumbull, MA, PLPC is a holistic therapist who believes healing comes from relationships and creating a safe environment for clients to feel heard and cared for. She works with individuals of all ages and walks of life, particularly those experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, grief, low self-worth, trauma, and other life adjustments. She integrates cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, and psychodynamic theory while acknowledging each person's unique story. Trumbull believes counseling offers a safe space to engage in one's story, reminding them of their worth and value, and helping them move towards wholeness and empowerment.

Let us delve deeper for an exclusive Q&A session into what Sarah has to offer her clients.

What are the top benefits of seeing a therapist?

When you get the chance to start your journey with therapy, you are guaranteed lifelong skills, encouragement, and confidence that you can carry throughout your life. One top benefit is being able to tangibly see yourself grow. Being able to grow as a human, I believe, is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give yourself. Leaving a counseling session can be hard and sometimes painful, but through that pain comes beauty and joy in knowing you are working on yourself to become the person you desire to be.

2. What made you choose to work in the mental health field?

I have had my own journey with mental health, and going through counseling when I was in college was one of the most formative experiences. I was able to see parts of myself that I had hidden. Therapy is powerful, and I saw that firsthand. When thinking about a career, I knew I wanted to do something that I knew would help people. I love to listen and create one-on-one personal connections, and most importantly, I have a huge passion for creating safe, comfortable, and secure spaces for people to be who they are and share their deepest parts of themselves. Early on, I knew I wanted to be in this field because I knew how much I wanted to step into people’s lives in a way that encouraged and challenged them.

3. Can you elaborate on your belief that healing is found through relationships and how you create a safe environment for clients on their healing journey?

There have been numerous studies indicating that trauma can be healed through relationships. I am a believer that we are made for connection—a healthy connection. Through connection, we find joy, laughter, a sense of being, and the ability to feel seen and cared for. There is no better medicine. The therapeutic relationship is about creating a bond of trust and security and being able to work collaboratively towards a goal.

4. How do you integrate cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, and psychodynamic theory into your counseling approach to address various emotional challenges?

CBT is a common and effective talk therapy used for clients who may be experiencing anxiety or depression. I enjoy using CBT techniques due to being able to provide clients with tangible skills to use in their everyday lives to aid in their current symptoms. Through this, I enjoy helping clients understand and identify thought patterns that are having a negative influence on their behavior or emotions. Alongside CBT, I enjoy implementing mindfulness and psychodynamic theory. Mindfulness is a powerful skill to aid those who may be experiencing stress or anxiety in connecting their hearts and bodies, as well as helping them stay present instead of being overwhelmed by thoughts or stressors in everyday life.

5. Could you explain your view on therapy from a holistic perspective, considering the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of a person's well-being?

In therapy, I believe in helping people remind themselves of their worth and value. I want them to eventually become their own therapist, and through this, I believe we must consider the person through a holistic lens rather than a finite, narrow view. In this way, the person can make sense of all their parts and, in turn, achieve potential well-being.

I believe healing is found in all parts of ourselves. This can look different for everyone; I believe that to understand ourselves, we need to understand those parts of ourselves.

6. In your experience, how does emotional-focused therapy contribute to helping individuals deal with issues like depression, anxiety, and low self-worth?

Emotional-focused therapy is a humanistic approach to therapy.I want my clients to feel that they are with a caring and empathetic human who values building a relationship with them. EFT is all about relating, helping clients understand and hear themselves better while also being able to redeem.

7. Could you describe how your therapeutic approach helps them on their path to recovery?

Eating disorders have been a passion of mine for a few years. I have had the opportunity to walk alongside clients who have experienced various symptoms of an ED. Through this work, I know and see the stress, the hurt, and the hold it can create in someone’s life. I feel passionate about breaking these behaviors down and giving clients their lives back, which I believe they deserve. Through this healing, I desire for my clients to see their true worth and believe in their own beauty on the inside and out.

8. How do you assist clients in making sense of the hurt they may be experiencing, and what strategies do you employ to help them move towards wholeness and empowerment?

In identifying and making sense of your hurt, I believe we must look at the hurt straight on and face it. Through this, we may be able to take a different perspective on this hurt or be able to separate ourselves from it in order to find empowerment.

9. What is your approach to helping clients enhance their self-image and self-worth, especially when dealing with issues like low self-esteem?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, is used in treating clients with borderline personality disorders to help them change the way they think and their negative behaviors.

10. What is your approach to helping clients enhance their self-image and self-worth, especially when dealing with issues like low self-esteem?

I believe identifying your worth can be one of the most powerful tools for feeling confident in who you are and who you were made to be. Through understanding our self-worth, we can contribute more effectively to our relationships and mental and emotional well-being. When our self-esteem is low, we see everything through that lens, creating more negative thoughts. I believe everyone deserves to know that they are worthy. Each person, I believe, is a gift to someone or something, and helping a client understand and believe that is a powerful gift that I feel honored to walk beside them in.